Arcing Problems on a 250 MW Westinghouse
THE PROBLEM:
A large power company in the mid west noticed ongoing arcing and sparking on this particular unit.
THE CAUSE:
The brushes were bound and hanging up inside the brush holders inhibiting brush movement, causing the arcing (electrical erosion) and compromising the brush to ring connection. The end result was a rapid wearing of the collector ring, and brushes placing the unit at risk for further damage and a catastrophic shut down.
THE SOLUTIONS:
- Online Truing: Cutsforth™ was asked to perform it’s Online Truing Service every 12-15 months over a five year period. Our online, under-load truing process dramatically lowered the vibrations and kept their unit operating online. The customer did not need to wait for a scheduled outage to get the work done.
- Cutsforth™ EASYchange Brush Holder System: We recommended Cutsforth™ EASYchange holders to solve the customers problems with their existing brush holders. Once EASYchange was installed this unit’s collector rings have never needed truing/grinding again. It’s been 5 years since our EASYchange brush holders were installed. This brush holder retrofit has saved this company $70,000 in ring truing/grinding costs to date. Fewer ring grindings mean increased collector ring life, saving thousands more.
This customer continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of Cutsforth™ EASYchange brush holder due to the increased reliability and decreased forced maintenance outages they had come to accept as “normal.” Plant personnel appreciated the ease of use and increased safety.
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